Rubber sponge



July 28, M- E BLUMENFELD RUBBER sPoNGE Filed July 17 1930 l oR :VEN-rl f Patented July 28, 1931 PATENT OFFICE'.`

MOSE E. BLUMENFELD, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA RUBBER 'application mea July 17,

The present invention relates to a cleaning or scrubbing implement of the rubber-'sponge t pe..

yRubber-Sponges are' today in general use for cleaning o r removal of foreign material,

and take .the place of the more expensive ,natural Sponges. One of the difficulties experienced in using rubber-Sponges for the purpose stated vis that there is undue friction m'created between the surface to be cleaned andthe working surface of the sponge when the said working surface is either dry or charged with plain Water. Under certain circumstances there is no serious objection to the undue friction above referred to, but it will be readily seen that, when painted or polished surfaces are to be cleane the rubber Sponges as heretofore manufactured cannot be used,- so that natural Sponges are being used for-cleaning painted or polished surfaces either dry or with plain Water. t The main object Aof the present mvention 1's tol provide a composite rubber-sponge, the' working surfaces of which are composed of strands of 'cord or yarn or equivalent strips of woven or other fabric, which are absorbent and serve to reduce the friction-between the body portion of the sponge and the surface to which they are to beapplled for the pur- 0 pose of cleaning the same. r

Another object of the invention 1s to pro-l vide a composite sponge of the character mentioned which is simple in construction, eilicient in operation, durable in use and capable 31a' of manufacture on a commercial scale, or in other words one which is not so difficult to make as to be beyond the reasonable costo such a contrivance. l

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of'construction within the scope of the appended claims, without desroNGE 1930.I serial No. 468,539.

parting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Two of the many possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a rubber-sponge constructed in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a modification of the invention.

Referring now first to Fig. l of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a rubbersponge of any suitable size and configuration, consisting of a spongy mass having many canals or openings extending therethrough for the circulation of the cleaning fluid. In this sponge are embedded fibrous strands of cords or yarns 11, according to the requirements, the free ends of the said cords or yarns, denoted by the numeral 12, extending freely 70 y beyond the surfaces of the sponge and forming a mass which loosely covers the-sponge surfaces; These free ends are, in the use of the implement, entangled or felted into a mat, vso that the sponge is converted into a clean- 7* ing implement having a working face in the nature of a fabric. Therefore, obviously, the friction between the'surface to be cleaned and the rubber-sponge is materially reduced and the disadvantages of the rubber-Sponges over natural Sponges entirely overcome,

It is obvious that for scrubbing o r rough work rubber-Sponges may be used in which coarse cords are embedded, While for finer workyarn of any suitable material may be embe ded 'therein in themanner above described.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings differs from the one above described in that the rubber-sponge 10 is enclosed in a Woven or other fabric 13. The means for uniting the two elements may be of any suitable character, without departing from the invention.

In case the improved rubber-spon e is to be vused for-applying polish, wax or t e like to a surface, it is treated with the material' to be applied. In such case, however, the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings is preferable, because of the fact that the 1m fabric covering prevents the polish, wax or the like from leaving too freely the sponge.

What I ,claim is 1. A cleaning implement comprisin a 5 rubber-sponge body, and spun bers em edded therein having their ends projecting [beyond the surface of said body.

2. A cleaning implement comprising a rubbersponge body, and spun fibers embed- 10 ded therein projecting beyond the surface of said body;

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 14th day of June, A. D. 1930.

15 MOSE. E. BLUMENFELD. 

